The Australian practice Choi Ropiha Fighera has realised this two-storey retreat house located in a tranquil suburban area of North Narrabeen, New South Wales, Australia. Although not immediately visible, the 300-square-meters structure encompasses two-storeys and a pool situated in the Narrabeen Lagoon-facing courtyard.

The Australian practice established in 1990 by the New Zeland-born architect Ian Moore has given this 19th-century grocery warehouse a new lease of life by converting it into a stylish, black-and-white residence. (more…)

Presented during the recent London Design Festival under the auspices of the somewhat tongue-in-cheekly named group exhibition ‘Matilda’, which showcased the work of a number of Australian-based designers in the UK for the first time, Volker Haug’s highly graphic, highly architectural porcelain lighting enthralled visitors. (more…)

The Australian architectural practice Edward Szewczyk & Associates realised this weekend home two hours drive from Sydney. A beautiful detail is the jetty/gazebo, a small structure located at the edge between the dam and forest. The jetty is suspended above the water and the gazebo is suspended toward the trees. It is larger and caters to more social activity such as swimming, fishing and picnics at sunset. The smaller gazebo is quieter: a place of reflection, watching the birds and reading a book. No part of the deck touches the water or forest emphasising respect to those natural elements. The form is essentially made of three horizontal planes: the surface of water, deck and roof.

Mon 3.5.

This single family residence in Hawthorn, Victoria in Australia was designed by the Melbourne based WOOD / MARSH ARCHITECTURE. The two storeyed pavilion is composed of three volumes. One of them is the expressive and massive concrete upper level – it encases the bedrooms and appears to be floating over a glazed ground level.

'Light House' by WOOD / MARSH ARCHITECTURE

“The ground floor level houses the living spaces. In contrast to the suspended shell it is a glass pavilion that gives the upper level its identity and proudly supports it to be viewed from the street. The ground level transparency ensures the living areas are open to the surrounding landscape but remain protected from harsh weather by the cantilevered floor over. Walls on this level are located away from the perimeter envelope and service areas, such as the kitchen, are located within a central pod. This further enhances the reading and integrity of the pavilion in the tradition of Mies van der Rohe.

The structural columns that support the mass of the upper level are offset from the glazing line to emphasize the weightlessness of the principal concrete form, at the same time creating an internal colonnade that visually draws the occupants through the circulation spaces.”

'Light House' by WOOD / MARSH ARCHITECTURE

“The third glazed volume encloses the indoor pool, and slips beneath the suspended concrete shell of the first floor. This form is further articulated and differentiated by an expressed steel portal frame. The length of the pool is amplified by the low ceiling and the surrounding ivy garden walls.

Concrete was chosen as the predominate structural and expressed material to create a greater thermal mass and to allow the building to store energy over a longer period of time. The ground level windows are double glazed insulated units with a selected performance glass. The selected materials and construction type produce a quality building with outstanding longevity both in design, durability and energy efficiency.”

Fri 26.2.

The Australian architectural practice McBride Charles Ryan realised this sculptural office building in the pedestrian area at the East end of Melbourne’s CBD (Central Business District).

'Monaco House', photo by Trevor Mein

“Dominant in the lane is the historic Melbourne Club wall and the gigantic plane trees emanating from the Melbourne Club Garden which arch over the diminutive lane. The site with dimensions of 6.1 m in width and 17m in depth and a foot print of 102.5 sqm is a postage stamp.

Our brief was to provide a ground level entry and café, followed by two levels of office tailored for the Proprietors Investment and Philanthropic Organisation. The top level contains a small reception area primarily for official functions associated with the client’s role as Honorary Consular of Monaco.”

'Monaco House', photo by Trevor Mein

“The process of the Aggregation of the Melbourne’s allotments is now almost universally seen as a process which diminishes urban quality and diversity. There is now an earnest attempt, even in large block developments, to reintroduce fine grain urbanism that has been lost to the city. This project is rare; despite renewed respect of fine grain urbanism there are few willing to make the significant investment that this type of building entails.

This was this client’s first foray into what may be considered contemporary architecture. Despite this inexperience, our client had a love of the design of cars, boats (particularly early 20C) and finely crafted objects. He bemoaned the loss of shape in the contemporary world. It was in the area of shape, craft and material that the architect and client found our common ground.”